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Incident Management: … When The Going Gets Tough … All Speakers
Incident Management:… When The Going Gets Tough …
All Speakers
THE RAINBOW COLLAPSE
DATE July 15, 2008
TIME
5:37 PM
LOCATION
Liseberg Park, Gothenburg Sweden
Attendance: 25.000(Day attendance: 36.000
Gothia Cup entries: 14.000)
36 passengers
Rescue Operation:• Police Dept.• Rescue squad • Liseberg
• Alarm chain• Rescue plan/Crisis plan
3 seriously injured
33 ”minor” injuries
SEQUENCE5:37
Collapse
5:40 Area roped off
6:10
All 36 passengers taken care of / brought to hospital
5:40
First media on site
…Immediate police investigation
”TOP STORY”
• Major tourist attraction
• Affected a lot of people on/off site
• Kids involved
• ”Could have been a lot worse”
• Holidays – peak season – news drought
• Gothia Cup – focus on Gothenburg
• Side stories
PHASE 1
Total focus on rescue operation
– AND NOTHING ELSE!
PHASE 2 MEDIA
• Be there! Be available!
• Confirm the accident - verify number of injured /casualties
• Do not speculate
• Show compassion
• Don´t lose your temper – you´ll be provoked
• ”Buy time”
• Accept criticism
• Don´t ever lie
• Don´t forget internal information
• Press conference?
CRISIS MANAGEMENT GROUP
• Make it small to secure information control
• One (or two) spokesperson(s)
• Administrative support• Be proactive towards all involved e.g. injured,
relatives, friends, personnel, media
• Try to regain the initiative!
Media
The public
Media
The public
Chats, communities, blogs, YouTube, mobiles, cameras…
• Incidents / accidents will happen
• Prepare for the worst thinkable scenario
• Stories develop beyond control
• You will face unforeseen situations
EAS sept08
Incident Management
When the going gets tough…
Paul ChatelotDisneyland Resort Paris/Prevention, Safety & Environment DirectorSNELAC/Vice-President
EAS sept08
How to deal with incident as it happens in your facility
Context
When an event occurs in a Park, it generates a sudden raise in activity for: - emergency response,- police investigating and judicial system, - customers or close relatives concerns and enquiries,- media enquiries.
Risks
The company and its leaders very quickly become unable to manage simultaneously all these constraints. The Company undergoes the crisis. It impacts its efficiency to manage the event, its consequences and the business continuity plan.
Overall recommendation
To be in a position not to undergo the crisis but to manage it.
The occurrence of such event remains weak, nevertheless a crisis is brewing.
Let’s imagine the worst…
2/5
EAS sept08
In general, the handling of the crisis is threefold:
1. Emergency response
- Train and lead the staff to the conduct of the business emergency plan, to reflex actions.
- Share with public services the scripts of emergency exercises situations.
- Be able to manage the disaster but also the rest of the park activities. Have managerial staff available.
2. Business continuity Plan
Be in capacity to manage:- demands related to the investigation,- contacts with families impacted,- the company brand image/protect the trade,
-media requests.
3. Disaster recovery Plan
Depending on the cause, event responsibilities, it is necessary to focus on:
- new prevention measures,
- enhancing credibility towards public services and customers,
- the brand image,
- managing the compensations issue for victims and eligible party in terms of insurance.
How to deal with incident as it happens at your facility
3/5
EAS sept08
How to deal with media inquiries when the incident happens at another facility than yours
Context
The media look for detailed information or for sensational.
When they have not found the information from the Company affected by the disaster, they look for it through experts or professionals.
ObjectivesProtect the trade.
Risks
Information delivered to Media could backfire on:
- the company affected by the disaster,
- the brand image.
4/5
EAS sept08
How to deal with media inquiries when the incident happens at another facility than yours
Recommendations
A crisis is about to begin…
- Prepare the Q&A with the union representing the business, with experts.
- Define some key speakers able to discuss with the media.
- Have technical experts capable to present technical information on the design of rides, standards, measures of prevention.
- Remain on the look out, do not comment what happens to other Companies.
- Avoid to comment the event, the reasons of the accident.
- Avoid all comments enhancing the Company, …”in our place, it would not occur”…
- Direct the media towards professional organizations, unions.
5/5
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CRISIS MANAGEMENT
EAS
MUNICH, SEPTEMBER 30th
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We have procedures for…
Operational management
Corporate management
Crisis communication
How to bring the crisis to an end
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Procedures are essential and have to be understood and practiced by the crisis management team
Formalize
Inform
Train
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BUT…
WHEN IT HAPPENS….
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I - On the site…
« Normal life » must continue : take care of other people on the site (staff, visitors)
Manage the crisis
Know who is doing what ?
Communicate
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Key points
You have between 20 minutes to 2 hours to be prepared and operational for communication
You will have to manage huge pressure and differing emotions
If you need 4 take 8
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II - On the Corporate level…
Even if it concerns only one site, organize a back up team
Always think of the impact on the whole Group
Set up external communication (contact with press and media)
Be ready to take over
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Key points
You have between 2 to 4 hours to be operational
Work under pressure but stay cool
Organize a strategic team
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III - Communication
Try to learn as many facts as you can :
. technical
. human
. contact with customers
Who is the spokesman ?
Who do we have to contact ?
Who do we have to inform : in the Company, outside, officials ?
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Key points
You have between 2 to 4 hours to be operational
High pressure from the press
Truth Facts No comment
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It’s a
Tsunami….
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Inescapable problems…
« You should do… »,« Why haven’t you done… »
People who have nothing to do with the crisis but still have an opinion
Our human environment
The unexpected
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What we need to keep in mind (part of a long list)
Always be ready : procedures, training, contacts
Have close relationships with relevant people (media/press, officials)
Strength in numbers : be numerous
In a crisis, everything goes faster…
How to end the crisis
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Who could be involved
Authorities State Prosecutor Police Hospitals Fire brigade and Anti-poison centres emergency services
Victims and families Associations Media (agencies, written press local and national, radio and TV) Elected representatives: Local (Mayor,…) Regional National
Contractors Tour-operators Local networks Laboratories / experts Insurance Lawyers IAAPA National Parks Association
Crisis unit
Supervisors, staff Corporate Trade unions Other sites
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If it happens at a site unconnected to you…
Keep in mind that it always has an impact on the whole business
Try to understand how to react if a similar crisis occurs on your site (learn from experience)
Be as informed as you can
If you don’t know, don’t make any comment !
Suggest the media/press get in touch with your National Association